Are you still trick-or-treating?

BY ELIZABETH ST. ARNAUD The street lamps flicker, casting orange light on the crowded street. Excitement tingles up your spine, as you look out to the sea of witches, ghouls, princesses, and the occasional “oh so creative” ghost sheet costume. Walking up to the first house, you reach out shyly, give a feeble knock, and call out “trick or treat.” It only takes a moment, but it feels like forever. Being crowded on a porch with a bunch of kids will do that. Finally the door opens, some kids push in front of you, and then it’s your turn. An adult appears and exclaims:“Aren’t you too old to be trick or treating?” With Halloween upon us, the annual question has arrived: How old is too old to trick or treat?“You're never too old, freshman Sarah Durocher says. And she has not quit. Hannah Ebert, another freshman, agrees that you are never too old, yet she stopped in sixth grade because her parents made her. On the contrary Isabelle Ylonen, also a freshman, believes that the age of 14 is the time to quit.“Because you can go to a party instead of dressing up in a child’s costumeand going to random people’s houses asking for candy,” she explains. She is stopping this year because she has grown bored withit. Skye Colby, age 14, has not yet given it up.“I don't think you can be too old for trick or treating because you should get to do what you choose,” she says. The ghosts of Trick or Treating past (also known as adults) have their own opinions on the subject. Mr. George Deans, a math teacher at BEHS, remembers how much fun and exciting it was. “However, I also remember being very intimidated by the older kids with their gory masks and costumes,” he says. “I don't think it's wrong for people to get into the spirit of Halloween, but I feel that by the time kids get into middle school, trick-or-treating is best left behind for the smaller children. I don't think young adults realize how imposing they can be to a little person dressed in a dog costume.” Mr. Deans concluded: “I stopped in 7th grade because my mother made me... It bothered me at the time, but, as in so many things, it turns out she was right.” Mr. Justin Pease, a language arts teacher at Bonny Eagle Middle School has a sure-fire way to decide.“As soon as you're embarrassed by asking people for candy at their doorsteps, you're too old to trick or treat because your conscience is telling you to give it up and let the younger kids have it,“ he says. He also states that he stopped in seventh grade because he felt “lame” So, whether you’re the child in a dog costume this year or a ghost of Halloweens past, have a Happy Halloween!

Vandal and former student returns to apologize

BY ABAGAIL KOVACS

Last May, Cullen Dumbrocyo, 20, was arrested after he and two other young men broke into Bonny Eagle High School, smashed vending machines, sprayed fire extinguishers, and dumped food onto floors. The damage totaled $6,000, and Dumbrocyo spent three months in the Cumberland County Jail, his second stint in the correctional system after four years in Long Creek Youth Development Center for his role in burning down the historic Richville Chapel in Standish.

In early November, as part of a restoration plan, he returned to BEHS to apologize to his old...

Battle of the "sixes" ensues after fight video surfaces

BY RONAHN CLARKE

A physical altercation between students that occurred before school on Jan. 19 has put the TV news station, WCSH-6, at great odds with Bonny Eagle High School. While the district has maintained that BEHS is a safe, secure, and well-regulated environment for the students, the WCSH-6 report suggested otherwise and has attempted to cast doubt on the school’s claims by asking its viewers and Facebook followers to offer their opinions. The Tuesday morning fight occurred in the hallway next to the cafeteria, an area that is often teeming with students who sit or stand against the walls and make it difficult for passersby to get through. The fight was between two freshmen...

District encounters challenges with new "proficiency-based" education program

BY ABAGAIL KOVACS

New to the SAD6 District this year is a state-mandated educational system which has sparked almost as much controversy as it has confusion. As described by the Maine Department of Education, the new program, Proficiency-Based Education, or PBE, is “any system of academic instruction, assessment, grading or reporting that is based on students demonstrating mastery of skills before progressing to the next grade level or receiving a diploma.” Essentially, students will have to prove they understand material before being allowed to graduate through the completion of summative assessments. For Bonny Eagle, this means...

GSTA club promotes gender pronoun awareness

BY AVERY JOYCE

By Avery Joyce Maybe you’ve noticed the pink signs posted around the school. You know, the ones that say “GENDER PRONOUNS” in big bold letters. You may also have wondered what they’re all about and who posted them. They were put up by the GSTA (Gay, Straight, Transgender Alliance) in order to raise...

BEHS holds assembly to honor veterans in the community

BY EMILY EBERHART

Voices echoed against the gym walls from the bleachers filled to the brim with students. Five rows of chairs were lined up at the front of the gym, some occupied by veterans. The concert band flanked one side of the gym and the chorus flanked the other, as students nervously readied themselves for their performances for the annual Veteran’s Day assembly on Nov. 10. Student Council advisor Ms. Dawna Cyr kicked things off by introducing the veterans and students. The NJROTC presented the colors, and Student Council President Trevor Hustus had everyone rise to say the Pledge of Allegiance. The event featured performances by the select chorus, who sang The Star Spangled Banner. Senior Meme Hanley took Music Director Mr. Allen Thomas’s place as conductor. The singing of the national anthem was followed by two performances by the concert band. The ceremony also included a very heartfelt thank you to the veterans...​

National Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps members exit the gym after conducting the ceremonial flag folding.

Science Island course engages students

BY ABAGAIL KOVACS

In many classrooms, curriculum is often textbook-driven, centered around theoretical study rather than application. Students enrolled in the popular practical physics elective, Science Island, are challenging those traditional constraints. By building light beam communicators, AM transmitters, AC generators, digital counters, parabolic mirrors, crystal radios, saltwater batteries, and rafts devised from plastic bottles and trees that students cut down themselves, pupils attempt to escape an island after being shipwrecked, all within the walls of a classroom.

“I think it’s appealing to a lot of kids, because they finally get to do all the stuff they’ve sat through and learned,” said one Science Island instructor Mr. Russell Taylor. “You certainly have to learn the stuff first, so you have to go through it, but now you actually get to apply it.” Raegan Young, a senior at BEHS can attest to the appeal of the class. "I thought it was an interesting way of learning. It's an interactive and engaging change for the science department," said Raegan. As a prelude to another class, The Journey Home, Science Island offers a unique way to solve empirical problems. In the process, it creates a new and perhaps more engaging way to utilize past science knowledge and apply new concepts - completely devoid of tests, worksheets, and quizzes. Mr. Taylor wrote the course with British Scientist Jonathan Hare, who appeared on the PBS reality series Rough Science. In that series, various specialists complete tasks through knowledge and ingenuity, using the natural...

Government teacher Ms. Breanna Bellefontaine-Krupski is now a mom

BY ABAGAIL KOVACS

A potentially dangerous situation turned joyful when BEHS government teacher Ms. Breanna Bellefontaine-Krupski and her husband had their first child, Gabriel Michael, six weeks early after a complication with preeclampsia. The couple had been in the hospital for nearly two weeks before Gabriel was delivered via c-section. However, his condition has been steadily improving and the couple hopes to bring him home by November. “With Gabriel being a preemie, it has been hard to not worry about his health, but it has been amazing watching him grow and champion through his challenges,” said Ms. Bellefontaine-Krupski. “He is healthy, he is just working on growing. My husband and I are very lucky!” She also explains that, despite the initial medical difficulties, she is thrilled to become a parent. She says she is surprised at how natural the parenting...